Jokkmokk/Saskam
So the day after Lena's birthday bash I had to say good bye to my darling Karin. How wonderful it had been to spend so much time with her... whenever we get together the years melt away and it seems as if I just saw her yesterday. But she had a life to get back to in Skelleftea and needed to travel several hours and so, sadly, we said goodbye for now...
After dropping my stuff at the house I went to the school to help everyone with the cleanup from the party - we finished about 4 PM. Then back to the house to fika and I got to give out the gifts I brought from Florida. First the gift Richard & Sue sent...
and my gifts for Stig and Mona HG wearing the shirt I brought him too
well here are a bunch of them wearing the stuff I brought - sorry Lena (don't
hate me for this photo)
and as we sat enjoying fika (which means some kind of coffee break - every where
you go in Sweden they give you fika)...a call came in from Carsten and Lars
wanting to know if I wanted to go fishing...and I did!
Carsten is an old fishing buddy of Richard's and mine from our trip in 1978
We were younger then and Carsten's hair was much longer
but he is still the same wonderful guy I recall so fondly
Alas, we didn't catch any fish. Carsten said he got 4 but since no one
else saw him do it or saw the actual fish...that didn't count. Notice the
light...it is about 9:30 PM in this photo and it is beginning to get cold and
these guys didn't bring any food or any hot coffee or anything except fishing
gear, one kid, two dogs and me.
Back at the house the battle of the t-shirts had begun - this may be the last
photo existing of Hannes in the red t-shirt... Hugo coveted it and soon it was
his 
Hugo is so loveable (if an imp at times) that it is hard to resist him even if
he is your brother
But then it was time to go back to Saskam where I have been so happy and where a piece of my heart resides.
The house was built in 1879 and moved here by Stig and his father from
the south...it sits on a beautiful lake... and now days it has a wonderful
sauna behind it near the lake
In Sweden, as here, the kitchen is the center of activity and the kitchen
windows are very important. A fire place sits in one corner of the
downstairs room and here is a picture Richard drew of it back in 1978 
I drew one too but mine was destroyed by rain (it was in the window) leaking
into a window...so only Richards remains - but my entry in the guest book is
still there - I am in Book 2 and in Book 9 and now in Book 10.
We have come to put out the nets and will return tomorrow to
haul them in...fishing, of course. HG and I take the boat and Hannes and
Lena take the canoe.
and we make a photo OP
The next day is dinner with Fia and her family - this family is new to me - Fia was single in 2000 when I was here and very sad - now she is in love and very happy with two great kids Zimon and Elias
The next day there was another dinner and a party to celebrate
the birthdays of Karin" daughter, Leila and her husband, Arnold - lots of
food and singing and laughing which are the things one does in Sweden - sing,
eat, laugh - I have photos of the birthday girl and her sister Elina but Arnold
avoided my camera on this day...
Here is our lovely Birthday Girl
Mona and Lena
After the party we traveled back to Saskam to check up on our fish...We did get some
Yummy!
HG smoked the fish in his new smoker, made from his old water heater - and
Hannes entertained us on the guitar - it was about 11 PM and the lake was like
glass...the arctic mosquitoes were out if full force but we were protected and
couldn't resist another fika when the fish were ready - all in all one of the
most perfect evenings I can recall, bugs and all.
The next day we headed off to Skaite and that will be a separate page...I urge you to check it out as it was a magical time and place - the kind of thing you don't find often in the USA anymore, at least not in my world.. . but now I want to show you some other days in Jokkmokk and Saskam - though maybe not in chronological order - after all what do you care about the order?
Here are some photos from a hot sunny day at Saskam:
Arnold with some just caught fish and Elina sunning and doing macramé
More sunning (fika in the background) and girls swimming in the (cold!!!)
lake
The teenagers all hang out here - having fika, of
course - Lena and I head for the
sauna - I am wearing a robe called Dame Edna
The Regge/Ska Band Glesbygd'n
(hear them on myspace or visit their web
site
Music fills the house - sometimes lovely music - sometimes the Penny Whistle
Orchestra - sometimes the Laponia Ukulele Orchestra - but music is loved here!
This series is all about choosing the right color ukulele to fit your
image... Hannes chose the red one...not tested here.
There was always someone noodle-ing around on some instrument or other and
ukulele's were breeding on the sofa. It was delightful to find so much
music around all being made as you listened.
But now it is time to take you on one of two big hikes in the
Swedish forests and bogs
we are going to Skaite 
